Today we’re visiting with Nicole Rossi, owner of Texture Florals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to discuss:

• her unconventional transition from architecture to floral design
• creating a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), the pros and cons, and what eventually led her to change the direction of her business
• the experience that sparked her interest in wedding and event flowers
• the event that ended up being the push she needed to start her own business
• her unique studio environment
• a new project she’s recently launched
• the logistics behind her editorial work
• the administrative changes she’s currently making
• some of the hurdles she’s faced during her quickly-growing flower career
• the supportive flower community in Philadelphia and how they have embraced her
• the importance of designers communicating on pricing for the good of the industry as a whole

• Blog
• Instagram
• Facebook
• BB Garden Style Workshop Series
• BB Garden Style Shop

• Studio Choo
• David’s Bridal
• BOK Building
• Fresh Designs Florist / Design Sanctuary
• Sebesta Floral + Event Design
• Jennifer Designs Events
• Faye + Renee
• RAM Floral
• Indesign
• Done + Dusted
• Urban Outfitters
• Anthropologie
• Free People
• G. Page Wholesale Flowers

Click here for more info on Alison Ellis’s email, proposal, contract, and work flow templates or visit the Real Flower Business website here.

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Guest Co-Host: Robby Lozano | Ten23 Photography

BB Podcast Sound Engineer: Landon McGee

Today we’re visiting Lucia Milan, owner of Lucia Milan Flower Studio in São Paulo, Brazil to discuss:

• her transition from fashion stylist to flower business owner
• how Chapel Designers membership impacted her business
• exploring and refining Brazilian style
• her passion for sustainable practices
• how traveling changed her thinking
• how she finds ideal wedding clients
• her desire for her work to mimic nature rather than alter it
• her tropical garden (and the little monkeys who visit it!)
• what inspired her to search for change artistically and how she’s come to feel whole in her work
• how her teenage children affect her work
• her efforts to build a sense of community in her market
• why she sees workshops as an investment in her business
• the importance of accurate pricing

• "Contemporary Flowers" from Olivier Dupon (Thames and Hudson, London)
• Chapel Designers | Holly Chapple
• The Blue Carrot
• Ponderosa & Thyme
• Flower House Mexico
• Tulipina
• Ariella Chezar
• Simply by Arrangement
• Hitomi Gilliam
• Alison Ellis | Real Flower Business
• Max Gill
• Makoto Azuma 

• Blog
• Instagram
• Facebook
• BB Garden Style Workshop Series
• BB Garden Style Shop

Click here for more information on The Mayesh Pull - send your sales rep inspiration images, a budget, Pinterest boards, etc. and have your rep pull a custom order for you. It's a great way to find out about new, fun products you might not have known about otherwise!

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BB Podcast Sound Engineer: Landon McGee

Today we’re visiting Katie Noonan AIFD, owner of Noonan's Wine Country Designs in San Luis Obispo, California to discuss:

• how her parents and their business influenced her love of flowers
• how AIFD Symposium has been instrumental in her passion for and pursuit of floral design
• what she did for a living while building her floral design business
• the 2 greatest challenges she faces when designing outdoor weddings
• the designs she refuses to sell to her clients
• the photoshoot that propelled her business to the next level
• the guidelines she uses when deciding whether or not to get involved in a photoshoot
• where she finds inspiration
• her thoughts on social media
• how she finds work-life balance
• scheduling time away from the business
• the challenges of handling the business side of a floral design business
• why she takes small deposits for weddings

• Blog
• Instagram
• Facebook
• BB Garden Style Workshop Series
• BB Garden Style Shop

• Florabundance Design Days
• Pim van den Akker
• Chapel Designers
• Hitomi Gilliam AIFD
• Cal Poly | San Luis Obispo
• SAIFD 

Click here for more info on Flower Math: The Florist’s Guide To Pricing & Profitability or visit the Real Flower Business website here.

Today we’re visiting Coral Shortt, owner of Epanouir Flower Studio in Cape Town, South Africa to discuss:

• her introduction to flowers while growing up in a family of flower-loving gardeners
• the correlation between her IT background and the project management end of weddings
• her transition from retail to a wedding specialty
• two important considerations when opening a retail shop
• striking a work/life balance with children in the equation
• why she loves freelancing
• the importance of pricing correctly
• how she manages her weddings using systems she created
• the importance of identifying and writing down processes before attempting to incorporate them into a new software
• four ways she's managed to learn floral design techniques over the years
• adjusting with trends
• the mechanics tools that revolutionized her work
• tips for working with cold glue
• the importance of relationships with fellow vendors
• the things she'd like to see change in the floral industry

• Blog
• Instagram
• Facebook
• BB Garden Style Workshop Series
• BB Garden Style Shop

• Alison Ellis | Real Flower Business
• What Wedding Flowers Cost South Africa
• Chapel Designers 
• Sue McLeary
• Holly Chapple
• Francoise Weeks
• Gregor Lersch
• Constance Spry
• Per Benjamin
• Daniel Ost
• Oasis Floral Adhesive (cold glue)

Click here for more information on The Mayesh Pull - send your sales rep inspiration images, a budget, Pinterest boards, etc. and have your rep pull a custom order for you. It's a great way to find out about new, fun products you might not have known about otherwise!

Today we’re visiting Jennifer Haf, owner of BLOOM in Charlevoix, Michigan to discuss:

• how her garden grown flowers paved the way to a thriving wedding + retail flower business
• how her business has grown and changed alongside her family life over the years
• running a flower business in a seasonal location
• thinking through an exit strategy for retirement
• how she curates her retail shop
• rebranding
• sourcing from makers for retail
• her interest in product development
• her educational journey in floral design
• her Open Book program of one-on-one learning opportunities
• how she tackles the engineering behind the large installations she offers her clients
• refining the 'less is more' minimalist aesthetic
• enjoying leisure time to balance work life
• her cutting garden and how she utilizes local farm

• Blog
• Instagram
• Facebook
• BB Garden Style Workshop Series
• BB Garden Style Shop

• NY Gift Market
• Flower School NY
• Ariella Chezar
• Holly Chapple
• Chapel Designers
• Studio Mondine
• Flower House Mexico

Click here for more info on Alison Ellis’s email, proposal, contract, and work flow templates or visit the Real Flower Business website here.

Today we’re visiting Bryan Watson, co-owner of Myrtie Blue with his partner Gene in Fort Walton Beach, Florida to discuss:

• the story behind their business name
• the challenges of producing beach weddings
• the secret behind his successful business partnership with his husband, Gene
• Myrtie Blue's extensive rental inventory
• how he organizes and retains the staff responsible for Myrtie Blue's event production
• the piece of the puzzle he's yet to solve related to staff duties
• the ins and outs of his production process with his team
• the unique way he handles minimum spends for his clients
• his desire to source more locally grown flowers in the Florida Panhandle

• Blog
• Instagram
• Facebook
• BB Garden Style Workshop Series
• BB Garden Style Shop

• Ariella Chezar
• Watercolor
• Seaside 
• Carillon Beach
• Alys Beach
• Rosemary Beach

Click here for dates and locations of 2019 Mayesh Design Star workshops with Atlanta-based floral designer Shean Strong.  And don’t miss Shean’s Tutorial Videos this year! Watch his Indoor Meadow Tutorial here.

Today we’re visiting with Semia Dunne of Flowers by Semia and The Floral Reserve in Providence, Rhode Island to discuss:

• the long winding educational path that eventually led her back to her love of flowers
• how she's grown a successful wedding and event floral design company over the last 19 years
• the birth, successes and challenges of her passion project, The Floral Reserve
• the unique location that houses her multi-faceted business
• the various ways she utilizes her studio space
• running a wedding floral studio in a popular destination wedding location
• the importance and longevity of her talented team
• how she fosters creative freedom with her team
• the ease with which she's learned to work with destination brides long-distance
• her motivation for founding The Floral Reserve and the obstacles she's had to overcome
• her vision and execution of the physical space which houses The Floral Reserve

• Providence Steel & Iron Company
• Francoise Weeks
• Fairest Flowers Farm

Today we’re visiting Ashley Fox, owner of Ashley Fox Designs in Woodbury, Minnesota to discuss:

• how she sets and meets goals
• knowing her boundaries and doing business with integrity
• how she edits the body of work she shares with the word to attract her ideal clients
• the value of sketching ideas as they come to her and putting them away for future clients
• saying 'NO'
• how her craving for visual stimulation led her to a creative career
• her desire to share with her community and colleagues
• the fears she had about moving her business and the surprising outcome
• how her garden mentor influenced her use of texture and color
• her experience with styling for catalogs
• how her installation work evolved into larger and more difficult designs

• Thymes Bed & Bath
• Saipua
• Nicolette Camille
• Flower Wild
• Aqueduto 
• Emily Avenson | Fleuropean

Today we’re visiting Teresa Fung, owner of Mimosa in Boston, Massachusetts to discuss:

• how she pulled from her musical background, as well as her educational background in International Relations & Education Policy to create a unique business suited to her interests and personal goals
• the job fair that led to serious conversations about the direction of her career
• how she developed a relationship with a non profit organization through persistence
• the internship program she developed for girls at risk
• the business advice she received which led her to pursue the social interests she felt called to address through her business, Mimosa
• her tips for getting involved and offering your services to a non profit organization

• The Gift Program
• My Life My Choice
• Seaport Hotel
• Cafe Madeleine
• Rosie’s Place
• Jane Packer
• Paula Pryke
• Michael George

Today we’re sitting down with Phil John Perry from Manchester, United Kingdom to discuss:

• his diverse background in visual merchandising, acting, writing, concept creation, and floral design
• the slow build to his passion for flowers
• his love of visual storytelling
• his thoughts on employment, freelancing, and fair compensation
• his advice on retaining artists as employees
• his thoughts on crediting the work of designers
• his passion for writing
• how he's found the courage to write from a place of honesty and transparency and the impact his writing has had on those who read it
• the story behind the headdresses he designed for Beyonce's Vogue cover story
• his dreams for the future

• Rebel Rebel
• British Vogue
• Rodarte Fashion Show
• Floratics blog post
• Hamish Powell
• Lucia Milan
• Storm & Grace Flowers
• Sarah Khalfaoui (Psychic Palms)
• Green Earth Flowers
• New Covet Garden Market 
• Phil’s blog post: Home is Where the…New Start Is